John Atherton (died 1573)
Sir John Atherton, of Atherton Hall, Leigh, Lancashire, was a landowner and an English politician.
John Atherton was the firstborn son of George Atherton by his 1st wife Anne, daughter of Richard Assheton of Middleton, Lancs.
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Alexander Ratcliffe of Ordsall. They divorced in 1535 and he went on to marry Margaret, daughter of Thomas Catterall of Catterall, Lancs.
He first comes to notice in 1536, when he was under the employ of Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby during the expedition against the rebels in the north, Known as the pilgrimage of Grace. Between October 1542 and May 1544 he was in charge of troops in northern England and in Scotland, where the Earl of Hertford knighted him at Leith in May 1544. During the final years of Henry VIII's reign, and under Edward VI,he was active in raising and training men for the Lancashire musters, and he kept up this work until after Elizabeth's accession. In September 1557 he led a number of his tenants to join the Earl of Derby's forces against the Scots.
John was appointed High_Sheriff_of_Lancashire in 1550, 1554, and 1560, and he was a Member of Parliament of the Parliament of England for Lancashire in 1559.
On 18 Apr. 1573 John made his will, settling his property on his eldest son John. He died between 30 June and 4 July in that year and was buried at Leigh on 8 July 1573.
